London, January 23, 1863
Our customary midweek intelligence has not arrived, owing I suppose to the violence of the storms delaying the steamers, so that we are now fifteen days back. In the meantime the President’s proclamation is doing much for us on this side. That is put in contrast to the paper of Jefferson Davis, much to the advantage of the former. The middle classes generally see and comprehend the existence of a moral question apart from all political disquisitions. The effect is to bring out an expression in popular meetings which is doing something to neutralise the opposite tendency of the governing people. Mr. Seward has printed so largely from my Despatches of last year, that there is now no misunderstanding here of what I think on this matter. I fear that I have forfeited the favor of my aristocratic friends by performing my duty of disclosing their tendencies, but as I have had not unsimilar experiences heretofore at home, perhaps I take it with less uneasiness. There are always great exceptions to be made. And after all, the position of a foreign minister must necessarily be one to inspire caution in making intimacies. My acquaintance is already quite as extensive as I can keep up with. The profound quiet of the months which intervene during the absence of Parliament is almost at an end. On the 5th of February the respective forces in the political campaign will be marshalled, and the war of ins and outs will begin. Although they are nearly equal in numbers I do not find much expectation of an overthrow of the ministry. Lord Palmerston is very popular, and he means to hold on to power as long as he can. If the opposition throw him in the House, he will only appeal to the people, and the chances are that he may sustain himself. For though the special vacancies have been filled rather favorably to the opposition, it is singular that the successful candidates generally pledge themselves to support Lord Palmerston. Thus is shown the singular spectacle of a leader who mounts two parties at the same time and yet having the entire confidence of neither. Such a state of things will not survive his Lordship. And he is nearly eighty years old! So it is not unreasonable to presume that a change cannot be far distant. The question what might be the effect on American affairs is that which gives us an interest in the result. I trust that before it happens we may be so far on our way to a result at home as to save all risk of trouble….
